Your best Caramel malt

[QldKev]

I'm after a change/backup from the caramel malt I've been using from day dot, TF Crystal Med has been my goto. I'm thinking CaraMunichs may be too malty for some styles. Caraaroma may be a bit too dark as an all arounder, so maybe Caraamber is the one.

What is your best all round caramel malt. I'm not looking for a red or malty flavor, but that would be ok. I'm looking for that true caramel flavor.

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

I used to love Heritage Crystal as my cara-style malt.

A tiny bit of rye, red wheat (briess) or victory just to accentuate it worked really well.

I'm in the same boat as you (though caused by availability), that Medium Crystal and the Caramunichs aren't quite right for me, even though I'm making some good beers.

 

[brewtas]

CaraAmber is a biscuit malt. I love it in a beer but it's not a replacement for a crystal.

English crystals are my favourite so I don't have any helpful advice about what to go for.

 

[lukiferj]

I use a fair whack of Caraaroma. I use it in most of my beers. Anything that requires a lighter crystal I use Caramunich I. Find I can make most of my beers with these two on there own or as a mixture.

 

[bradsbrew]

I like carared as a universal. Although it does take a while to go through 12 kg.

 

[carniebrew]

Does it have to be an import? Or would Joe White Caramalt or Crystal be an option? I use either or both in most of my beers.

 

[Mardoo]

Or you could go the other side of the pond and try the Briess Caramel malts. It's a pretty straight up caramel flavor, although I myself think I'm coming to prefer the English crystals.

 

[mje1980]

I like Simpsons medium and the cara munichs.

 

[warra48]

I don't think there is a single crystal to fit all.

I like Caraaroma, but it's about the darkest of the crystal malts, and gives a touch of roast if used in larger quantities. It's not suitable to make really pale beers. I've used about 100 gr in an otherwise 100% Munich Light grain bill, and it makes a nice beer.

A tiny touch of Carawheat is nice in a Dunkelweizen.

Otherwise, I tend to use a mix of light, medium and dark crystal in the ratio of 2-2-1. It gives me a nice complexity.

 

[mje1980]

Oooh and carahell is an under rated one IMHO. Good for light sweet malty flavour, like a blonde ale etc.

 

[MHB]

CaraAmber is a biscuit malt. I love it in a beer but it's not a replacement for a crystal.

English crystals are my favourite so I don't have any helpful advice about what to go for.

Going to have to disagree with you on this one, its is a crystal/cara malt, have a look at the Weyermann website, its listed between CarraRed and CaraMunich.
Mark
View attachment WM250MEL_Caraamber(R).pdf

 

[warra48]

Oooh and carahell is an under rated one IMHO. Good for light sweet malty flavour, like a blonde ale etc.

I've also used up to about 100 gr in a Hefeweizen with good results.

 

[Phoney]

What do you guys usually use as replacement when recipes call for:

20L Caramel
40L Caramel
80L Caramel
120L Caramel

My take is 20 = light, 40 & 80 = med, 120 = dark

 

[MHB]

The conversion to from Lovibond to EBC is times 1.97 (tho 2 is close enough). Generally with Cara/Crystal malts colour is a pretty good indication of flavour.
No malt can be directly substituted for another, they aren't identical even if they are close to the same colour. and some times you will need to mix a couple for one malt. Classic example being Fullers ESB, its made with 2 malts, Halcyon Pale Ale and a medium-medium dark Crystal malt that they have made to specification - we cant buy that malt so most home brew recipes end up being 3 malts to get closer to the target.

Here are some possible substitutes (doubtless there are many more), remember the numbers are typical middle of a range and you need to look at each delivery to nail the exact colour and do a bit of testing to get the flavour you are looking for.

So for 20 you are looking for a malt around 40 EBC...
20 oL > BB Caramalt 54 EBC, Weyermann CaraBelg 35 EBC, Weyermann CarraRed 45 EBC, TF Light/Pale Caramalt 35 EBC
40 oL > Weyermann Caraamber® 70 EBC, Caramunich® Type I 90 EBC, Bairds Dark Caramalt 75 EBC
80 oL > BB Medium Crystal 135 EBC, W - Caramunich® Type 3 150 EBC, TF Medium Crystal 150 EBC,
120oL > BB Dark Crystal 250 EBC, TF Dark Crystal 240 EBC, W - Caraaroma® 350 EBC, (at a pinch, I love this malt but it gets very dark very quickly)

Hope that helps
Mark

 

[mattfos01]

I used to love Heritage Crystal as my cara-style malt.

A tiny bit of rye, red wheat (briess) or victory just to accentuate it worked really well.

I'm in the same boat as you (though caused by availability), that Medium Crystal and the Caramunichs aren't quite right for me, even though I'm making some good beers.

Yeah missing that Heritage Crystal..

 

[manticle]

Its absence makes manticle cry.

I now blend simpsons medium, dark and light equally to vaguely replicate it.
Hard to say though Kev because it depends on the beer. My simpsons blend is my go to for uk and apa but in a dubbel I'll go spec b, the few german types where I'd actually use crystal will get wey caramunich. That's about all I use.

 

[mje1980]

Oh yeah spec b in certain beers, or cara aroma !

 

[idzy]

I will throw Carabohemian out there as a malt that Dr.Smurto recommends as one of his favourites. Not sure if this meets your criteria though. He says he subs for CaraAroma.

http://www.weyermann.de/eng/produkte.asp?PN=2&idkat=18&umenue=yes&idmenue=37&sprache=2

 

[QldKev]

The Carabohemian sounds interesting with the intense caramel taste. The color is pretty dark, so I wonder of the other darker flavors would start coming through. I may get a couple of kg and try some.

 

[HBHB]

I wouldn't say it's my "go to" crystal, but Briess 60L certainly features prominently in a lot of my recipes for some caramel without being over the top, it adds some nice depth to the malt body of a lot of pale ales. I also use it in number of porter and stout recipes.

spec sheet: https://nationalhomebrew.com.au/uploads/attachments/National_Home_Brew_ID-54827_201304020232553784.pdf

Martin